Getting repairs done if you’re renting privately
Your landlord is responsible for most major repairs to your home if you rent privately. This includes:
- the structure of the property, for example walls, roof, windows and doors
sinks, baths, toilets. - pipes and wiring
- heating and hot water, for example the boiler
- the safety of gas and electrical appliances
You’ll be responsible for minor repairs, for example changing fuses and light bulbs. You’ll also have to fix anything you’ve damaged. You won’t be responsible for repairing damage caused by other people, for example vandalism.
If your home is damp, your landlord might not be responsible. It depends on what type of damp it is – and what caused it.
Your landlord might have to make reasonable adjustments to the property – for example, if you have a disability and need a handrail to help you get upstairs. Your landlord also has to do anything that’s included in their tenancy agreement.
If your home isn’t safe for you to live in
If your home isn’t safe to live in, it might be ‘unfit for human habitation’ – this includes shared parts of the building like entrance halls and stairs.
Your landlord has to make sure your home is fit for human habitation. This applies to most types of tenancy
Your home might be unfit for human habitation if for example:
- it has a serious problem with damp or mould
- it gets much too hot or cold
- there are too many people living in it it’s infested with pests like rats or cockroaches
- it doesn’t have a safe water supply
It doesn’t matter if the problem was there at the start of the tenancy or only appeared later.
- Your landlord doesn’t have to make sure your home’s fit for human habitation if you caused the problem by:
- not looking after your home properly – for example not using the extractor fan after having a shower
- doing something unreasonable – for example leaving candles burning when you go out
If you would like help dealing with your landlord, the cost of living or any other issue, please contact Citizens Advice to see how we can help.
Call us on 0300 3309 064
Chat online: citizensadvice.org.uk/contact-us
Website: www.basingstokeandtadleycab.org.uk
Or search on the National Citizens advice website www.citizensadvice.org.uk